Hong shao rou (红烧肉) is the classic Chinese red-braised pork belly — meltingly tender cubes lacquered in a dark, glossy, sweet-savory sauce. This version keeps all of the flavor while taking some weight off: a quick blanch removes impurities and a good amount of fat, there is 25–30% less rock sugar than in most traditional recipes, and the surface fat gets skimmed during the braise. The finishing step is the whole dish — reducing the sauce at the end until it is thick and lacquered. Bok choy blanched in the braising liquid for two minutes picks up extraordinary flavor, and jasmine rice catches every drop. Pork belly is rich, so a modest portion goes a long way.
Ingredients
- ~2½ lbs pork belly, cut into chunks
- Rock sugar (use 25–30% less than most traditional recipes)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil, such as grapeseed
- 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 3 slices fresh ginger
- 2 star anise
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- Water, to cover
- 2 packs bok choy
- Jasmine rice, cooked in a rice cooker (¾ cup per Him & Son, ½ cup per Her)
Preparation
- Start early — the braise needs at least 2 hours.
- First, blanch: put the pork belly in cold water, bring to a boil for 5 minutes, drain, and rinse under cold water. This removes impurities and some fat and is what separates good red-braised pork from great.
- Next, caramelize the rock sugar in the oil over heat until amber, watching carefully. Add the blanched pork and stir to coat. Add the Shaoxing wine, dark soy, light soy, ginger, star anise, cinnamon stick, and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and braise, covered, for 1½–2 hours.
- Skim the surface fat every 30 minutes, or refrigerate the braise overnight and lift off the solid fat cap the next morning.
- To finish, uncover, raise the heat, and reduce the sauce for 15–20 minutes until thick, glossy, and lacquered.
- Blanch the bok choy in the braising liquid for 2 minutes.
- Serve the pork and bok choy over jasmine rice.
- Set aside extra pork for the next day’s lunch and reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water.
Notes
Portions: Him & Son: ~5 oz pork belly + generous bok choy + ¾ cup jasmine rice (~740 cal) | Her: ~3 oz pork belly + bok choy + ½ cup jasmine rice (~490 cal)
